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Posts Tagged ‘Allergic Reaction’

There are still a lot of things that we do not understand about allergies despite our considerable advancements in medical knowledge. Why is it that some people have allergic reactions to a particular substance while others don’t? This is just one of the questions that we are yet to find a definite answer about allergies.

Allergy can be a complicated health issue to deal with for many people. The task of pinpointing exactly what factors are causing them and having it treated is not easy at all. It’s not something that can be taken lightly since its symptoms vary greatly from a simple cold to a fatal shock.

One theory that attempts to explain the mystery behind all this basically involves our immune system treating an otherwise harmless substance like it was a threatening one. The condition is very subjective to many people. Once your body’s immunity system has located a substance that it believes to be threatening, it employs measures to exterminate it which in turn manifests as an allergic reaction, may it be skin problems, itching eyes or a runny nose.

It is believed that allergic reactions gradually disappear after expelling the substance which aggravated your immune system, although this isn’t always the case.

People who are susceptible to allergies take measures to avoid being exposed to substances that trigger their allergic reactions. Medical experts refer to these substances as allergens and it can be anything from dust, dust mites or pollens from flowers. It is common for people facing such predicaments to fit their home’s cooling or heating system with filters designed to prevent these allergens from entering their house. Steps such as these can only go well with the help of an accurate diagnosis since you need to know what specific allergens are triggering your condition after all.

The process of diagnosing allergies typically involves a series of test. The most common of these is the one called a “skin prick” test conducted by an allergen specialist responsible for interpreting the test. A series of known allergens are injected unto the skin using a needle and the reaction of your skin to such allergens is used as a basis for determining the kind of allergen that you are susceptible to. Based on the result of tests such as the “skin prick” test, people who are at risk to allergies will know specifically what substances to avoid and prevent such conditions from obstructing their normal lives.

Are you someone that suffers from allergies on a regular basis? Maybe you end up having to take all types of medications for them, but they never seem to go away and you just cannot find the relief you desire. There are some people that are allergic to just about anything and there are some that are lucky enough to never have allergies. For those that suffer from allergies this is how to get rid of your allergies fast.

When you have an allergic reaction it is your body’s defense system reacting to something that would normally surround you. This is why some people get rashes when they eat shell fish. Their immune system believes that this is a harmful food for your body and breaks out.

You should start by figuring out what triggers your allergic reactions. If you sneeze like crazy when an animal is near, then there is a good chance you are allergic to that animals dander. This could also be the case with many foods. If you eat something and it causes your body to react in a way that is not normal, then you probably have an allergy to that food or something in that food.

The next step is common sense. When you know what triggers your allergies, then stay away from those things. If you are allergic to peanuts, then do not order food that has peanuts in it or is cooked in peanut oil. The same goes with pet dander. If you are allergic to pet dander, then do not have pets or have pets that do not have long coats and do not shed very much.

The last step is to go ahead and do a detox. Doing a detox will help your body rebuild your immunity to certain things and can help your body become less likely to react to some allergies. This is a very proven way to get rid of your allergies and it works with many common allergies. The detox will take energy away from your digestive system and use it in other parts of your body. Plus it will rid your body of any harmful things that are in it and help you get a boost in your immune system.

An allergy is the disorder of the immune system where the system ends up becoming extremely sensitive to certain substances which are normally considered harmless. Usually when bacteria, fungi or viruses enter the body, the immune system produces antibodies and certain chemicals to kill these organisms. In a person who is allergic, the immune system produces antibodies and chemicals to fight non-infectious substances. These substances are known as allergens and the body’s reaction to allergens is known as allergic reaction.

Medical science has still not been able to make headway when it comes to allergies. Researchers know that number of substances can cause allergic reactions but the exact cause of allergies is still not known. However, science has proven that allergies are hereditary as they tend to run in families.

A baby, child or adult can be allergic to dust, mites, pollen, mold, latex, animal dander or certain types of foods. The most common types of foods that babies are allergic to include cow’s milk, egg, wheat, soy, peanut, cashew nut, fish and walnut.

If you baby is allergic to dust, mites or pollen, you will notice symptoms like rash, red watery eyes and sneezing each time he comes in contact with that particular allergen. Sometimes, the baby can also develop runny nose, nasal congestion and cough. These are mild allergic reactions and can be tackled with antihistamines and decongestants. However, if the baby develops breathing problems, you should immediately rush the baby to ER.

Some babies are also allergic to certain types of food. When they eat that particular food item, they develop an allergic reaction either immediately or within 24 hours of eating. Allergic reactions to food include hives, diarrhea and vomiting. The most common foods that babies tend to be allergic to are eggs, milk and wheat. Once you figure out which food your baby is allergic to, you should avoid feeding him that particular food item. This way you can avoid any kind of reaction — mild or severe.

Remember, anaphylactic shock has to be treated immediately or else it can be fatal. Anaphylactic shock is characterized by difficulty in breathing, swelling, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, confusion and diarrhea.

The countless people who suffer from allergies know that they are a real inconvenience that can prevent you from living your life. Maybe you’re the person who is miserably sneezing and wheezing at the dust mites, while everyone around you feels just great. For a person who suffers from allergies, small things like dust, pollen, and food become the enemy.

Allergies can be tough to live with, but there is one weapon that can do more to defeat them than anything else: Knowledge. Knowing a few basic tips and making some minor lifestyle changes can truly make a world of difference in your war on allergies. Here are some of the basics on allergies, and how to battle them and emerge victorious.

What Exactly Are Allergies?

An allergy is an abnormal reaction from a person’s immune system. The substance that triggers the reaction is not typically a damaging one, but the body reacts as if it were. The triggers of allergic reactions can be many different things: House dust, pet dander, pollen, and various foods are some of the more common allergens. Allergies may change over time, and new allergies may develop as well.

An allergic reaction is triggered when three factors combine: First, an allergy prone person is exposed to an allergen. This can be as simple as breathing in one time, if the irritant is in the area. Second, the body’s natural defense against allergies, Immunoglobulin E, starts trying to fight off the antigen by attaching to the body’s mast cells. The third part of the process is what leaves you with watery itchy eyes, breathing problems, and sneezing.

In an allergic reaction, the mast cells start releasing massive amount of chemical irritants. These irritants will bring on the allergies. Then, to compound the problem (as if the beginning of the allergy attack were not enough!) the chemical irritants in the body start attracting white blood cells called eosinophils. The function of the eosinophils is to bring even more fun (not!) to the party since they bring additional inflammatory chemicals along with them.

What Causes Allergies?

We know how allergies happen, and we even know the steps involved in an allergy attack. The question that most allergy sufferers want to know: Why me? What is it that causes one person to be severely allergic while another is able to blissfully ignore allergens with nary a problem? It is still not completely clear why some people have allergies and other do not.

Heredity appears to play a big role in many cases, however (Thanks so much, mom and dad!). If you have parents or siblings with allergies, your own chances for having them are much higher. In some cases, allergy sufferers have no hereditary link, and it is just uncertain why the allergies happen. It is possible that air pollution, and the increasing use of recycled indoors air may be contributing factors. It has also been theorized that the widespread use of antibiotics may be a factor. Since the immune system is not occupied with fighting off serious infections thanks to the antibiotics, it may be more susceptible to less harmful substances like the typical allergens.

Allergy Prevention

Allergy prevention has to begin with allergy recognition. Once you have determined exactly what you are allergic to, you can practice prevention based on the problem. For environmental allergies such as pollen, simply avoiding exposure is one of the best preventative methods. This will require tracking of the pollen counts, and staying inside if they are unusually high. Keeping all windows closed and running the air conditioner is also a helpful pollen allergy prevention.

For those who suffer from dust allergies, there are several small changes you can make inside the home that will help prevent attacks. Using airtight plastic covers that will encase your pillows, mattress, and box spring will keep the dust mites away and allow you to sleep far more peacefully. If you have carpeting in your home, very frequent vacuuming with high efficiency filters will help keep the dust from building up. Changing furnace and air condition filters frequently can help as well.

Pet allergies can be prevented by isolating the pet if at all possible, bathing the pet very frequently (Nobody said this part would be fun!), and the use of HEPA filtration air cleaners. The best, and in fact the only, prevention for food allergies is avoidance of the food that causes the allergy. This takes a lot of diligence, and careful analysis of all foods you or your child eats.

As early as the 1930′s it was theorized that constant or repeated exposure to an allergen put exhaustive stress on the body, including the immune system. Ultimately this exposure has a negative effect on the body’s defenses and leaves it open to illness and other medical complications. In addition, these allergens can have a degenerative effect on energy levels which results in chronic fatigue and other more serious health problems. Under the Allergic Tension-Fatigue Syndrome theory if you remove the allergen you will relieve the not only the allergy symptoms but also the underlying medical conditions caused by the drain on energy levels.

While there can always be many potential causes for various illnesses or conditions, one of those causes may be undetected allergies. One of the most common causes for fatigue problems is allergies yet awareness of them may remain hidden for years. Removing the allergen may sound like a simple solution but what if you can’t get away from the allergens? What if you can’t even identify them?

To most people an allergic reaction implies you have breathed, eaten, or touched something that causes your body to sneeze, cough, itch, swell, make your eyes water and/or your nose run. But allergies can also be the root cause for a wide range of ailments including but not limited to:

>Gastrointestinal ailments such as indigestion, constipation, ulcers, etc.

>Headaches & migraines

>Backaches

>Arthritis, joint pain, restless leg syndrome, etc.

>Brain symptoms such as brain fog, depression & attention-deficit disorders

>Skin problems including rashes, boils, slow healing wounds, etc.

>Heart irregularities

Modern life assaults our bodies from without as well as within. We are exposed to chemicals in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat.

Consider this. At the turn of the century bread making required only whole grains, water, butter, baker’s yeast, and a little sweetener to help the yeast rise. Today a modern loaf of bread may contain more than 100 different ingredients, including preservatives, coloring agents, insecticides, pesticides, and fungicides, as well as chemical residue from various packaging and cleaning procedures. These can sensitize an immune system and cause us to react negatively to many other substances.

Our bodies are still biologically programmed to reside in a much simpler environment. Is it any wonder that the number of people complaining of allergic reactions has increased dramatically? At the same time traditional Western style medical schools and journals are broadening their definitions of allergies and recognizing that the immune system, when under a perceived attack, will respond in many different ways leading to the ailments mentioned above.

In the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Sept. 19, 2002 there was an article about findings published in the New England Journal of Medicine that counter decades of conventional thought regarding dust and allergies. Where it was always thought that dust causes allergies and therefore should be avoided, a European study has shown that household dust actually helps protect children from developing hay fever or asthma. The same has been found for children exposed to pets at an early age.

Conventional diagnosis has been to expose the body to small, concentrated doses of potential allergens by injecting the substance under the skin. The areas that show swelling and itching indicate an allergic reaction. Treatment usually consists of a long series of “allergy shots” over an extended period of time. Each shot contains minute amounts of the allergen and the theory is that the body will slowly build up a resistance.

Just as conventional thoughts about the cause and effects of allergies are being challenged and changed, so are treatments for allergies. Today there are several non-invasive, drug and needle free options for diagnosing and treating allergies that have provided relief for 10s of 1,000′s of people. These techniques typically use a type of bio feedback mechanism to identify the allergen and then, in very simple, general terms, use a form of pressure point and breathing to reset the body so it does not react to the allergen. The most well known of these is NAET but there are numerous other non-invasive methods available.

If you suffer with chronic fatigue without a known cause you may want to explore the possibility that you are suffering from Allergic Tension-Fatigue Syndrome and work to discover whether or not you have “hidden” allergies.